Fastening device.



L. 'H. ARENS.

FASTENING DEVICE.

APPLICATION FILED 0013.22, 1912.

Patented May 20, 1913.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

LLOYD H. ma s or sr. tours, MISSOURI, 'AssIeNon r0 FRANK ADAM nrlncrnrc conrAnY, or s'r. LOUIS, mssonnr, A CORPORATION or MISSOURI.

FASTENING DEVICE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented May 20, 1913.

To all whom, it may concern:

Be it known that-I, LLOYD H. ARENS, a

citizen of the United States, residing at St. Louis, Missouri, have invented a certain new and useful Improvement in Fastening Devices of which the followingis .a full,

clear, and exact description, such as will enable othersskilled in the art'to which it appertains to make and use the same.

This invention relates to fastening devices of the type which comprise a clamping member arranged on one side of the object that is to be retained in position, and an adjustable actuating member for causing said clamping member to engage a stationary part of the structure with which said object is used so as to securely hold said object in position and prevent it from moving relatively to said stationary part. One object of my invention is to provide a fastening device of the type referred to which is so designed that the clamping member will grip the stationary part of the structure firmly and will not be liable to slip off of same when the adjustable actuating member 0 the device is tightened.

Another object is to provide a fastening device which is so constructed that the ad with which it cooperates. And still another object. is to provide a fastening device in which the clamping member is so constructedthat it will bear upon the stationary part of the structure and also upon the movable part that is to be secured 1n position even though said movable part is spaced away some distance from the stationary, part of the structure; V t

Other objects and "desirable features of .niy' invention will be hereinafter pointed out.

I have herein shown my improved fasten ing device as being used for securingthe removable front or frame of a panel boardcabinet in operative position but I do not wish it to be understood that my invention is limited to a fastening device designed for this. particular purpose as the device can be used for various other urposes.

Figure 1 of the drawings is a horizontal sectional view of a portion of the panel board cabinet whose front or removable frame is retained in position by fastening devices constructed in accordance with my invention; Fig. 2is a vertical sectional view taken on the line 2-2 of Fig. 1 looking in the direction indicated by the arrow; and Fig. 3 is an approximately horizontal sectional view taken on the line 3-3 of Fig. 2.

Referring to the drawings which illustrate the preferred form of my invention, A designates the body portion of a panel board cabinet which consists of a box or casing that is set in a wall so as to form a housing for a panel board B, said box being preferably formed from sheet metal and provided at its front edge with an inwardly projecting portion or flange 1 that extends parallel- =Said frame D is retained in position and secured tothe flanges or inwardly projecting members 1 on the front edge of the cabinet A by means of a plurality of fastening devices,'each of which consists of a clamping member E arranged behind the frame D or on the inside of the cabinet, and an adjustable actuating member Fthat passes through an opening in the frame D and projects into a bearing member G carried by the clamping member E. The bearing memberG is preferably located intermediate the ends of the clamping member E, and it is connected to said clampingmember in such a manner that the clamping member can turn or rock on themember G as a fulcrum. In the preferred form of my invention as herein shown, the clamping member E consists of a strip of metal bent intermediate its. ends so as to form a substantially horseshoe-shaped part 2 that surrounds the bearing member G which .is cylindrical-shaped. The bearing member G is provided with a transversely extending screw-threaded opening through which the adjustable actuating member F passes, as shown in Fig. 3, and the curved or horseshoe-shaped portion 2 of the bearing slot 3, as shown in Figs. 1 and 3, so as to form a clearance for the actuating member F and thus permit the clamping member E toirock or turn on the bearing member G. By connecting the actuating member and clamping member together in thismanner a universal connection is provided which permits the clamping member to assume various angular positions without affecting the adjustable actuating member. VVhenthe device is used for the purpose herein illustrated the adjustable actuating member F is passed through the opening in the removable front frame D of the cabinet and is screwed into the bearing member G of the clamping member, the member F being turned or screwed up until the clamping member E is drawn into engagement with the inner face or under side of the inwardly projecting flange 1 on the cabinet A. As the operator continues tightening or screwing up the adjustable actuating member F the clamping member E will rock on the bearing member G and its outer end will bear against the inner face or under side of the frame D, as shown in Figs. 1 and 3, thereby causing the frame D to be pressed tightly against the wall in which the cabinet is set.

One advantage of a fastening device of the construction above-described is that the clamping member bears firmly upon the stationary part of the structure, namely, upon the flange 1 of the cabinet, and is not liable to slip off of same owing to the fact that it is connected to the adjustable actuating member F by a universal connection which permits the clamping member to assume an acute angular position with relation to the adjusting member F. Another advantage of such a device is that'there is no tendency for the adjustable actuating member F tocant or turn whenit is tightened up and consequently the head of said member will bear evenly upon the front face of the removable part D of the structure with which the device is used. No matter how much the member F is tightened there is no tendency for said member to assume an angular position or for the clamping member to slip off the stationary part 1 of the structure for the screw-threaded bearing member G through which the actuating member F passesengages the clamping member E midway the'ends of same and 1n such a manner that said clamping member can turn or oscillate on the bearing member G as a fulcrum, this being true even though the cabinet A is set so far into the wall that the removable front D is spaced some distance and after-having found same will tend to produce friction between the two parts.

A fastening device of the construction above-described is inexpensive to manufacture; it can be operated easily, and there is no liability of its being rendered inoperative by screwing up too much on the actuating member F owing to the fact that the frictional engagement of the clamping member E on the bearing member C will be increased as the member F is tightened.

Vhile I have herein shown the adjustable actuating member passing through the movable part of the structure and threaded into the bearing member on the clamping member it is not essential that the device be arranged inthis manner in some classes of work or that the actuating member be threadedinto' said bearing member for the adjustable actuating means of the device could be constructed in various'other ways without departing from the spirit of my invention.

Having thus described my invention,what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. A fastening device comprisinga clamping member adapted to engage a movable part and a stationary part of the structure, an adjustable actuating member passing through one part of the structure, and a bearing member cooperating with said actuating member and permanently connect- 'ing member consisting of a strip of metal bent intermediate its ends to form a curved portion, a bearing member permanently arranged in the curved portion of said clamping member, and an actuating device passing through an elongated slot in the curved portion of said clamping member and through an opening in said bearing member. 3. A fastening device consisting of a screw-threaded actuating member, a bearing member mounted on said actuating member, and a clamping member rockably mounted on said bearing member and consisting of a strip of metal bent intermediate its ends so as to form a curved part which partially surrounds said bearing member.

4. A fastening device comprising a screwthreadedactuating member provided with a head, a bearing 'member'mounted on said actuating member, a clamping member rocknection which permits the clamping member In testimony whereof I hereunto afiix my to rotate and also rock transversely of the signature in the presence of two witnesses, 10

actuatin member. thls seventeenth day of October, 1912.

6. A astening device comprising an ad- LLOYD ARENS justable actuating member, a c hndricalshaped bearing member mounte on same, Witnesses: and a clamping member rockably mounted WELLS L. CHURCH, on said bearing member. V GEORGE Euzuuzawnnn. 

